Conventional electrical outlet boxes have been in use for several years to assist in the installation of electrical wires, and in particular, power wires. The electrical wires enter electrical boxes through ports located near the base of the electrical box. The electrical wires extend through the port, into the electrical box and to an open end of the electrical box. The electrical wires are then connected to an electrical receptacle which is located substantially flush with the floor and generally covered by a floor cover plate. As the open end of electrical boxes is generally flush with the floor, electrical boxes are sometimes referred to as floor boxes.
With an increasing proliferation of computers in the workplace, there is a need for electrical boxes to accommodate both communication services wires and power services wires. Communication services wires, such as telephone lines or computer lines, transmit communication and data signals to computers. Power services wires carry electrical power to power electrical appliances.
There is generally a substantial difference in the voltage of the communication wires and the power wires. For example, communication wires are generally low voltage in the range of 5 volts, while power wires are generally higher voltage in the range of 120 volts in North America and 240 volts in Europe.
Many electrical codes and regulations require separation of communication wires from power wires at all times, including within electrical boxes. One reason for requiring the power wires to be separated from the communication wires is to prevent accidental contact between the lower voltage communication wires and the higher voltage power wires. This makes installation of the communication and power wires safer. In addition, separating the power and communication wires ensures no accidental contact occurs between the power and communication wires over the years of use of the equipment and devices connected to the wires. Also, if the higher voltage power wires are not separated from the lower voltage communication wires, the higher voltage, generally alternating current, of the power wires may degrade the communication and data signals of the communication wires.
In the past, electrical dividers have been custom made to fit within specific electrical boxes. In these prior art devices, the electrical dividers are manufactured to specific tolerances and cooperate with the corresponding electrical boxes to provide a secure fit between the divider and the electrical boxes.
However, it is not possible to use electrical dividers manufactured for a particular type of electrical box in a different type of electrical box. This is the case at least because dividers are manufactured to specific tolerances so as to cooperate with the electrical box and to become securely fixed in a desired position, where the electrical wires can extend from the port into the divider.
In addition, a large number of existing electrical dividers were manufactured only for power service wires. Therefore, no electrical dividers were ever made for many electrical boxes which were installed in the past and are still in use today. Moreover, these existing electrical boxes were not manufactured with guiding notches or other guiding elements to assist in positioning, orienting and securing an electrical divider in the desired position. Therefore, it is not possible to retrofit a large number of existing electrical boxes presently in use as no electrical dividers were ever manufactured to cooperate with these specific electrical boxes.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved electrical divider which can be used in more than one type of electrical box. In addition, there is a need in the art for electrical dividers which can be retrofitted into existing installed electrical boxes.